


A Flock of Feathered Stars

by prettypersistent



Category: Actor RPF, Once Upon a Time RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-10 08:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2017290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettypersistent/pseuds/prettypersistent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When two new additions to the Once Upon a Time team discover that their best friend is in love with a fellow cast-mate, they're determined to play matchmaker. But with everyone so close in body and mind, they quickly find themselves encountering unexpected situations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madame_mayor_regina_swan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madame_mayor_regina_swan/gifts).



> Hello readers! So, I am very much in love with the Goodilla pairing and think they're terribly underrated, so I wanted to share this story! I started it several weeks ago, mainly just sending it to my friend I've "gifted" this to, so I'm already a few chapters in. (That said, a special thanks to my babe for always encouraging the Lana/Ginny ship and my writing!)
> 
> The only necessary notes are that this takes place during the filming of 3B and all the main characters are single.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Oh my God, our little Lana’s in love!” one Brit said to the other, leaving their American friend quite flustered.

She had just finished an interview, and of course, had been asked the dreaded, _‘Is there someone special in your life right now?’_ Lana had answered, _‘Of course! But I’m not dating anyone at the moment, if that’s what you’re asking.’_ She had thought the answer was safe enough, but whether it was the wording or the expression on her face, somehow, her best friends who had come along to watch had picked up on it.

Lana groaned and rolled her eyes. “You’re three months older than me, Bex.”

“Well, I’m a year older than both of you, so I can call you two Little Lana and Little Bex,” Sean remarked.

Lana watched as Rebecca shot a glare at the man. She never allowed Sean to get away with his cute, playful antics. “Stop changing the subject. Both of you.”

“Oh, right!” Sean declared, his face lighting back up, and Lana was annoyed that Rebecca couldn’t have forgotten as easily as he did.

“So spill! Who’s the lucky lady?”

Lana didn’t _want_ to answer the redhead. It was too awkward when they all knew each other so well. And if people started talking about it, there was a chance of it getting out amongst the tight-knit group. Besides, she didn’t even know how to answer that. ‘Lucky lady’ would imply that the person wanted and reciprocated Lana’s feelings.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure she’s straight. I know she is,” Lana insisted, nodding.

“Well, how straight are we talking? Like, me-straight? Or Ginny-straight?”

“Bex!” Lana gasped. Though, she wasn’t really shocked about the joking comparison. That was typical of Rebecca’s crass sense of humor. She was, however, taken off-guard by the fact that the actual object of her affection was mentioned.

“What! I’m just saying, if we’re talking about straight people, I’d be the type you’d have a bit of wiggle room with,” Rebecca explained, shrugging. “Whereas Ginny’s more of the doe-eyed, boy-crazy type—.”

“Oh, like you’re not boy-crazy,” Sean interjected, almost bitterly.

They were always like this, and Lana usually tried to act as the buffer, so to speak, but right now she was just glad to have the attention off of her lackluster love life.

“Are you jealous, Sean? I thought I was playing the green one,” Bex responded, cocking her head to one side. It seemed to shut Sean up pretty quickly. “I’m talking about the school lassie type of boy crazy. Where she fancies a number of men, with no intention of anything coming from it.”

“So you’re saying the fact that she _doesn’t_ shag a bunch of men proves that she’s straight?” Sean questioned, his eyebrows raised with skepticism.

“You’re a bloody idiot, Sean!”

Lana sighed, knowing she should intervene. First of all, she didn’t really need their theories on the Kinsey Scale to prove that her feelings would only lead to a dead end and a broken heart. And second, well—if she didn’t stop them, nothing would.

But she couldn’t think of a single reply that would get them to drop it, or even something that wouldn’t just make it worse.

“You’re awfully quiet over there, Lana,” Bex observed, but it sounded much more like an accusation than an observation.

“Well, I’m sorry, but this conversation suddenly got way too British for me,” Lana said, waving her hand a bit.

Sean looked offended and Lana tried her best not to laugh, but she definitely cracked a smile. The three of them had been the best of friends since they started filming and she knew that they not only always knew how to make her smile, but that she could trust them with anything, despite the difficulties of the business they were all in.

“Alright, let’s cut the crap. Is it someone we know? Are they like me, or like Ginny?”

“Ginny! It’s Ginny, okay?” Lana watched their eyes grow wide and their lips drawn thin at her answer and she immediately shook her head.

British accents of different pitches, sounded off in unison, “Oh my God…”

“No, no, no! You asked me—who they were like—and I said—.”

Bex grinned widely and wildly clapped her hands. “No, it’s Ginny! It’s _actually_ Ginny!”

“You know, the two of you do kind of look like you could be a couple,” Sean said.

“ _Gross_ , Sean,” Bex remarked.

The two of them always encouraged Lana to put herself out there more, because most people—outside of her friends and family, of course—didn’t even know she was gay. It just wasn’t something she worried about spotlighting. She was very public about her support for equal rights, but when it came to her personal life, she wanted whatever relationships she developed to be genuine.

She imagined, though, that none of them would have expected it to play out this way. Had anyone noticed the way she watched only Ginny, whenever the two of them were in the same vicinity; or the way that Ginny brought a smile to her lips and a light in her eyes in a way that no one else could?

Groaning, Lana ran her palms over her face. “Fine. Yes, it’s Ginnifer. It’s a crush and it will obviously have to blow over,” she said, defeated.

“No, it’s okay! Like I said, it’s not like she’s involved with anyone, right now…” Rebecca said. It was already starting.

“You were just using that fact to prove the opposite point!” Sean argued.

“Shut up, Sean! This isn’t about your lack of a sex life. We don’t know what Ginny’s sex life does or doesn’t mean for Lana’s situation,” Bex said, earning another scowl from the other Brit.

Lana was getting to the point of grossed out with Bex’s remarks. Usually she could handle her raunchy manner, but it was getting too personal, at the moment. “Can we just go? I really want Burger King.”

“Lana, I want to talk about this! This is huge for you!” Bex whined.

“For the record, I wasn’t about to make this about me. I, too, want to hear about how you’re feeling, Lana,” Sean assured her.

They were both impossible, though. She may have trusted them, but she didn’t trust them to not to take this into their own hands and make a huge deal out of it.

* * *

“Why are we even here? McDonald’s is a million times better than Burger King,” Rebecca insisted, dramatically inspecting a fry in the back of Sean’s car.

“No it’s not,” Lana argued. She and Ginny always used to get Burger King when they were living together.

“I thought this wasn’t about us, Rebecca. This is about Lana,” Sean said, snarkily.

They both continued bickering, despite their claim, but Lana simply ignored it this time.

Truth be told, she could use the support. As much as she tried to tell both them and herself that it was just a crush, she was already past that point. Having a little crush on a straight girl was no big deal. But really falling for her straight friend was overwhelming and something else entirely—something she wasn’t prepared for.

“Lana, when did this all start, anyway?” Rebecca asked, leaving her to wonder how they finally got back onto the topic.

Sighing, she decided not to bother fighting them anymore, since she knew she needed advice and she needed her best friends. “I guess—I mean, I’ve always felt that little attraction; that little spark since we first became friends. But then there was this moment…” She smiled to herself, almost forgetting that she was with others. But it was that smile that Ginny brought on and it was impossible to fight. “It was over the summer. We were sitting on my roof watching fireworks… It just felt really romantic, you know? And I looked over at her and—and I just knew.”

After a strange pause, Rebecca squealed loudly and nearly spilled her drink. The woman didn’t seem to have a romantic bone in her body, but when it came to other people’s love lives, she turned into an absolute puddle.

“Lana, that’s—that’s very sweet,” Sean commented, and Lana immediately wished she hadn’t gone so soft on them, like that. “Are you sure there’s nothing between the two of you? I mean—from her side? Of course, I wouldn’t want you trying to ‘convert’ someone, or anything like that, but—love isn’t always black and white, I suppose.”

Lana smiled softly at Sean’s kind words. But really, there was no indication that Ginnifer would ever be interested in a relationship like that with her. Except, sometimes she returned that lingering gaze and that smile; sometimes she went out of her way to touch her. On the rarest of occasions, sometimes she almost seemed to flirt back.

But that was probably just in Lana’s head.

Sighing gently, she gave her head a shake. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s Ginny. She’s so…old-fashioned—.”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Rebecca interrupted with. “Being old-fashioned isn’t always an indication of what kind of lover a person is. It’s like the business man with the stiffest shirt collar who you would think is all vanilla, but then you get to his place and he whips out the handcuffs and you’re like, what the hell—?”

Sean quickly opened his mouth to cut Rebecca off, this time. “I think what Bex is _trying_ to say is that…you can’t always help who you love, no matter what your lifestyle is.”

Lana grinned before quickly covering her face with her hands. She felt ridiculous and happy and the butterflies in her stomach were moving so wildly they felt literal. “But if I were to try, or even just bring it up, and she didn’t feel that way, it could ruin our friendship!” she whined.

Why was she even allowing herself to hope?

“Maybe she’ll be the Lindsay Lohan to your Samantha Ronson.”

“ _Bex_ —,” Lana warned, shooting a death glare.

“Okay, I’m sorry; I’m done,” Bex said, dismissing herself. “But seriously, you two are absolutely adorable together. If nothing else, she’ll probably be so flattered and will remain your dearest friend. And besides, you don’t have to do this alone. Just consider Sean and I your own personal wingmen.”

“Really, Lana, if there’s even a possibility she could fancy a woman like that, I’m sure you’d be the first she’d fall for. And if it turns out that she doesn’t feel that way, then we’ll be there to help you move on. But you at least deserve the chance,” Sean said, beaming at Lana.

Maybe they were right. Maybe she shouldn’t just assume that Ginny wouldn’t feel the same way. Hell, if she never expressed her feelings, then she wouldn’t have any relationships, would she?

“Alright. But I don’t want to make it some uncomfortable, dramatic movie-monologue confession. I just want to approach it like I normally would, and see how things go,” she said firmly, giving her head a nod to match the tone.

“Well, that’s what Sean and I are for! We’ll be all sneaky and feel her out; see how she’s feeling about it.”

“Perhaps we should leave the sneakiness to me,” Sean insisted. “Your idea of subtle would be to ask Ginnifer what she thought of Lana’s cleavage that day.”

“That is _very_ subtle!” Rebecca said, gaping. “Everyone loves Lana’s cleavage. I check out her boobs every day!”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Lana interjected, throwing a fry at both of them. They both immediately opened their mouths to protest, but she held up a hand. “Stop talking about my boobs. And don’t make Ginny uncomfortable.”

The Brits resounded with phrases like ‘No, of course not,’ and ‘We would never!’

Lana simply smirked. “You guys are the best, you know that? It really means a lot to me that you’re here for me for all of this…”

“We love you, Lana,” Bex said, while Sean smiled and nodded in agreement.

“And I love you guys,” Lana said, licking her lips as they turned up into a smirk. “Now, do me one more favor and say you love each other, too.” Despite Sean and Rebecca’s constant back-and-forth behavior, they were just as much friends as she was with each of them.

She watched them exchange an awkward glance before Rebecca rolled her eyes and spoke up, saying, “I love you, Seany.”

“I love you, Little Bex!”

When Rebecca attempted to lunge at Sean, Lana intercepted and wrapped her arms around each of their necks, pulling them into a group hug, wearing a wide grin all the while. No matter what happened, at least she had the best support system to fall back on. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so at the time of publishing this story, I already had the first two chapters written. So after this one comes the waiting game. ;) But I'm already halfway into chapter 3! Anyway, thank you to anyone who's reading! I've gotten some comments over on Tumblr, but I hope to hear from yo ua

Ginnifer was on her way to get coffee. Throughout her life, she had been on every different type of diet, yet the one thing that remained constant was that she could not bring herself to go without caffeine—mainly coffee.

It was a daily routine. No, not even a routine. It just had to happen at some point. For some reason, she never felt quite like herself until she had that first sip in the morning. Even though the effects would definitely not kick in that fast, just having the silky smoothness slide down her throat and into her stomach was enough to make an impact. She tried to drink it black for a time, when she was on a dairy free diet. It wasn't that she disliked it, but there was something about the bitterness that ruined the sensation for her.

She tried to be positive. She tried to accept everything that came her way. Bitter was something she never liked to be.

On her way to the coffee cart, she knew the lack of caffeine was affecting her more because she had a nine o'clock call on set that day. When her filming started at four o'clock in the morning, it was so early that she was almost hyperaware of her current state. But at this point in the morning, she felt out of it; unaware.

Bumping into Lana, she gasped. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice you! Not that I _don’t_ notice you, I just—.” She stopped and huffed quietly before a smile spread onto her face. “Hi Lana.” Her arms wrapped around the other dark haired woman, pulling her into a hug.

Their friendship was different. Not in any strange or noticeable way, but she could just tell that it was different from her friendship with Jennifer, or Lana’s with Sean and Rebecca. It wasn’t even that one was more significant than the other, she didn’t think; it was just a different bond.

Sometimes they would go a while without seeing each other, only to find out that they both missed each other terribly, and seemingly the same amount, leaving them to wonder why they went so long in the first place.

Ginny wondered if perhaps she _liked_ missing Lana.

Pulling back, she saw that Lana was equally shocked by the run-in. “I’m sorry, I haven’t—.”

“—had your coffee, yet,” Lana finished, licking her lips, which were in the form of a small grin.

Sighing happily, Ginny smiled, too. “You know me too well. Or maybe I’m just that predictable…” Ginnifer had always been the ‘girl-next-door,’ and in her celebrity, she had developed that reputation, as well. It was a fine thing to be seen that way in the public eye, but she hoped that her friends found her more complex.

“You know, I’m not so sure if you’re that predictable or not—which, really, would automatically make you more mysterious than predictable,” Lana said, her face more serious than Ginny would have anticipated with that statement.

Ginny still let out a light chuckle, though. “Well, thank you. How have you been, though? I haven’t seen you since the last shoot.” In reality, that was only a few days. But Lana, Sean, and Bex went almost everywhere together. Ginny wondered why it couldn’t be that way with them, but she supposed there was a good explanation. It wasn’t clear who needed to explain, however.

Lana smiled and moved over to the coffee cart, pulling a cup down. It only took her a moment to realize that she was preparing the coffee just the way _Ginny_ liked it.

“I’m good,” Lana answered. “A bit of work, a bit of play—can’t complain.” Placing the lid on, she handed the coffee to Ginnifer.

After a long sip, Ginny let out a pleased sigh. “How do you do that, Lana?” she whispered, licking the remaining liquid off of her lips.

Lana simply shrugged, but she wore a proud grin; almost a shy one, like she was slightly embarrassed by the feat—but Ginny was impressed. “After living with you for a year, I learned how you like your coffee—even if it is a _very_ particular way,” she teased.

It was Ginny’s turn to wear the sheepish grin, and she did.

They both stood there, smiling stupidly at one another, for a time. Well, Ginny felt stupid, but Lana seemed just fine, of course. It was strange because while they definitely both had their fun, Ginny was a bit more reserved, whereas Lana was rather goofy. And yet, Lana always seemed so poised and put-together.

“So, I was wondering,” Lana started, “if you would like to have dinner with me next week. We could do it on my roof again, but this time I’d like to cook.”

“Of course!” Ginny answered right away, nodding, and Lana looked happier than usual. She wasn’t sure why the woman was acting so formal about it, since they hung out all the time. But she loved having one-on-one time with Lana. It was like the good old days.

The thought made her sad. Were they really not as close as they had been when they were roommates? Maybe Lana just enjoyed Sean and Bex more, so she had less time to spend with her. But she had been the one who had just asked her to hang out, so she decided not to dwell on the negative thoughts.

Lana glanced down at her phone. “Shoot—I think I need to be in hair and make-up.” With her free hand, she took Ginny’s and held it delicately—not like a quick, firm squeeze to say goodbye. “I’ll let you know what day and time, okay? Well, and I’ll see you later today,” she said with a wide smile.

“Okay, see you,” Ginny answered quietly.

She didn’t realize that Lana had released her hand until the woman’s back was to her.

* * *

For the first time since being cast, Ginnifer felt like she didn’t understand something that was going on amongst her cast and crew. Sean and Lana were working together constantly, and Rebecca and Lana had known each other since Lost. With those connections and the weird dynamic that Bex and Sean had, the trio was quickly becoming the most infamous friendship on set. Not even Mikey and Colin’s constant antics could compete.

It wasn’t that she felt left out. She had her own relationship with Lana. It was just that she hadn’t really had the chance to get to know Sean or Bex. They had all talked and had a few laughs, but nothing substantial.

So it came as a surprise to Ginny when Rebecca dropped by her trailer for a visit.

"Hey, Rebecca. What brings you here?" Ginny remarked.

"Please, call me Bex," the woman told her. Or corrected her. She wasn't sure which. "And I thought I'd just drop by to hang out! We're going to be friends so we should get to know each other."

"Friends?" It was an odd thing to assume, but Ginny didn't mind making new friends, especially when they would be working together anyway. It was always awkward when castmates didn't get along. "Of course, sit."

Bex did. Her arms stretched out along the back of the couch and she appeared immediately comfortable. "So, tell me what's going on in the fabulous life of Ginnifer Goodwin. It must be fabulous, given you're Snow-fucking-White. Not that I have any complaints about being the Wicked Witch. It's positively delicious."

Ginny wasn't surprised that Lana got along with the redhead so well. Lana was so fun-loving and a bit rough around the edges. She could probably easily keep up with Bex, whereas Ginny was slightly taken aback.

"Oh it is great, definitely," she answered. "Work is great here, which I'm sure you've already realized. And it's even better that I get to work with my closest friends." She felt like she was responding to an interview, but it wasn't like she and Rebecca were all that comfortable with each other, yet—or at least she wasn't.

“Yeah, it’s a tight-knit group. You and Lana seem _so_ close.”

“Absolutely!” Ginny remarked, but there was something off in the tone of Bex’s voice, so she added, “Same with me and Jennifer, and Josh. I love everyone here, really.”

“Exactly. That’s why I can’t wait to get to know everyone! Starting with you,” Bex said, in a way that Ginny found so sweet and yet, so intimidating at the same time.

"One thing I'm surprised about," Bex continued, her British accent ever fluid. "Is how many unattached people there are. Personally, I get it, but I mean--well, are you seeing anyone?" she asked her.

“No, no one serious right now,” Ginny answered. “I’ve gone on a few dates, but those aren’t leading to anything.”

Bex looked her up and down, like she was sizing her up, and then suddenly cracked a smile. “Well, I understand that. I have _no_ desire to settle down right now.”

Ginny shook her head. “No, it’s not that I’m not interested in settling down. I would love that. I just haven’t been seeing the right people, I guess.” She knew that she probably needed to date an actor. It just made the relationship easier and they seemed to understand each other best.

“Well, you’re quite a lovely woman. So what’s wrong with the guys you’ve been dating?”

Chuckling lightly, Ginny glanced down. “Nothing’s wrong with them, of course. I mean—I might have gone on a date with one or two jerks in the past. But for the most part, lately, it’s that even if I do enjoy myself, I can’t see it leading to a relationship, or even more than just a couple nice evenings out.” She shrugged before looking back up at the other woman.

“Well, perhaps there’s a reason for that. Or they’re just total duds.”

Ginny laughed softly and remarked, “Yeah—,” not sure what else to say.

After a brief silence, Bex asked, “Have you ever kissed a girl?”

“Whoa there, Katy Perry! Where’s that coming from?” Ginny questioned, smiling nervously.

“Oh, please. It’s hardly that uncommon anymore. Don’t act so offended,” Bex said, waving her hand.

“I’m not offended,” Ginny insisted. But she _was_ getting offended that the woman would imply she was. Just because Bex was suddenly Lana’s new best friend, that somehow made her more supportive? She had been friends with Lana for the past three years. Maybe Bex and Lana had known each other since Lost, but she doubted that they were as close then as she and Lana had been as roommates.

“Alright. But I’m guessing the answer is no?”

Ginny nearly scowled, not understanding what this was all about. “Yes. I mean, yes, the answer is no. But I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“It isn’t, dear. We were just on the subject and you said things weren’t working out with men, so I just thought I’d ask,” Bex said with a smug grin. The smugness was probably in Ginny’s imagination, but she didn’t want to admit that to herself.

“Just because I’m having trouble dating men doesn’t mean that I’m gay.” This was such a strange conversation and Ginny was beginning to conclude that Rebecca was a very strange woman.

“Of course not. But you never really know until you try.”

“I don’t think it works that way, Bex,” Ginny said, her eyebrows furrowed deeply. “A lot of people know whether they’re gay or straight before they kiss both genders.” For someone who had been acting so uppity about her support for their mutual friend’s community, she seemed awfully twisted on the logistics of it all.

“Gay, straight; black, white… I don’t think it works _that_ way, Gigi,” she said firmly, but with that hint of sweetness. It made Ginny uncomfortable. “I’m not saying that some people aren’t completely straight or gay, but—.” She stopped there and gave a slight shrug.

“Alright, so what about you, then?” Ginny asked, actually losing a bit of patience, which caused an unpleasant twinge.

“Me? Oh, I’ve snogged a handful of girls,” Bex said, licking her lips, and Ginny subconsciously gulped. “Like I said, it’s not that uncommon.”

Their eyes met and looked away a few times. Actually, Ginny moved hers away, but Bex could have held her gaze for all she knew. It hadn’t even felt like they were moving—maybe she didn’t—but they ended up only inches apart.

Bex flashed that charming smile, with her face at the perfect, most flattering angle as she leaned in and closed the small amount of space between them. Her mouth pressed softly against Ginny’s. Slowly, her top lip was caught between the other woman’s two.

It wasn’t until then that she wondered why she wasn’t pulling away. But she hadn’t received a good—and off-screen—kiss in so long. Rebecca’s lips were soft and the perfect size. Not too big or too wide and thin, like some men she had kissed.

Bex grabbed her hand and brought it to her hair, causing Ginny’s fingers to tangle in the red curls, as their lips slid and swooped against one another’s.

When Bex pulled away, Ginny felt like the moment had passed in the blink of an eye, and yet, she had lost all grasp on her senses.

Wiping her lips with her middle finger, Bex grinned and stood up. “See? That was fun!” she declared. “See you later, Gigi!”

And she left her with just that. Just ‘fun’. Ginny grew angry, thinking of how Lana would feel to know that Bex saw kissing another girl as nothing more than _just fun_. Then she realized that she had no right to be angry on Lana’s behalf, because she had just engaged in the same thing.


	3. Chapter 3

"To girl's night!" Bex hollered, and downed another tequila slammer. "I just can't believe we managed to get away from Sean long enough to _have_ a proper girl's night."

They had found a lively bar that was just roomy enough for them to sit at a table and not have people constantly bumping into them or bothering them. Rebecca wasn’t against the idea of meeting someone, but she knew that tonight was about the two of them. And especially since Lana already had her sights set on someone and definitely would not be looking tonight, Bex knew better than to even tempt herself with the idea of going home with a man.

"You have to let me do a body shot next," she claimed, eyeing the dark-haired woman, clad in a black halter top and sipping on a beer.

"Not off this body, you're not!" Lana protested, shaking her head.

The answer hardly came as a surprise to Bex. "But your boobs look fantastic tonight! Not as great as mine, still, but that can't be helped," she teased.

Lana wouldn't even kiss her, though. Bex had drunkenly attempted to get her to make out on a few occasions, but Lana always turned her away with nothing more than a friendly peck on the lips. She said that it would be too strange because they were best friends, and Lana actually _was_ a lesbian.

"Well, it's still not happening. And whatever, I don't care how my boobs look tonight," Lana said, before pausing briefly. "Because I have a date next week," she concluded, grinning sheepishly as she tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced down.

Bex squealed loudly and with a huge grin, practically leapt across the table at her best friend. Ever since hanging out with Ginny, she knew that Lana had a great chance with the woman, so she was even happier hearing the news after her discovery.

Grabbing her drink, she flagged down the waiter to order two more shots. “Come on, you have to do a shot with me to celebrate!”

“Okay fine, but just one! Besides, there’s nothing to really celebrate, yet…” Lana said, casually playing with the label of her domestic beer. It grossed Bex out, the beverage, but she knew that was what the American was accustomed to. “I mean, I didn’t really _say_ it was a date. But I think she could tell that it wasn’t just me saying we should hang out, you know?”

Bex nearly sputtered her drink as she chuckled. She shook her head, with a knowing grin that Lana was sure to question--and she did. "Just trust me. I definitely think she's interested in the idea of it being a date.”

"What makes you say that?" the other woman inquired. "Did you do something weird? I told you that if you want to help, you better not do anything weird." When the waitress placed the shot glasses in front of them, Lana grabbed one and quickly downed it.

"Well, so much for a celebratory cheers..." Bex muttered before taking her own. "No, I didn't do anything weird. I already told you I was going to try and scope her out for you."

"Okay, but how did you do that?"

"Just chatted with her a bit. We got on the topic of dating—what was going right and what was going wrong. I mentioned the idea of fancying girls. And finally I just kissed her!"

Bex remembered how sweet Ginny's lips had tasted, and how she wore one of those sticky, glittery lip glosses that she hadn't seen on anyone in years. Oh, the woman had Lana's type written all over her.

"Excuse me, you what--?" Lana said, her jaw clenched in a way that Bex had only ever seen on screen. It quickly snapped her out of her thoughts regarding the two women.

Tossing her hair behind her, she sat up. "Well, she seemed curious about the idea, but didn't think it could work for her. So...I just gave her the chance to find out."

"What the hell, Rebecca? How could you do that? You know how I feel about her!" Bex observed that the tenseness in Lana’s face was gone and had been replaced by pure anguish. But she had only meant to help, in the best way she knew how.

“Lana, it didn’t _mean_ anything—.”

“Um, no, you _just_ said that it gave you reason to believe she’s interested, so it obviously meant something. Even if it didn’t, you still kissed the woman I love,” Lana said. God, Bex had never meant for Lana to take it this way. “And what if she finds out _why_ you did it?” Lana continued. “She’d never trust me, even as a friend!”

“Honestly, Lana, it wasn’t like that,” Bex tried to explain, shaking her head. “It was just a fun, spur of the moment thing that may have helped her to realize that she could be interested in a woman—but not that she’s interested in me.”

“No, she isn’t like you. She doesn’t just do stuff like that unless it means something.” Lana sighed deeply, her entire forehead wrinkled in apparent frustration. “God, Bex, why do you always have to be such a—.”

“Slut?” Rebecca finished, cutting her off. The cautious, sympathetic tone she had been using escaped her.

“I didn’t say that…” Lana muttered, giving a lighter sigh and shaking her head.

“No, but you were going to. You were thinking it,” she said, scowling harshly. “You have some nerve—.”

“Don’t! You don’t get to be angry,” Lana snapped, wearing perhaps an even more dangerous expression than her own. Bex had never thought that was possible for Lana.

Still, while she had never meant to hurt Lana, she was now more concerned with how Lana had hurt _her_. Because what Lana had done was something different; it was more…permanent. It had to do with what Lana _thought_ of her supposed best friend, and that kind of thing wasn’t something you just got over. It wasn’t something that would just go away.

“Yes—Yes, I do,” Becca said, leaning in and narrowing her eyes to show the woman that she wasn’t backing down. “Because you apparently think so lowly of me. You want to put all of the blame on me, because god forbid it be your precious little Ginny. Well, guess what? She kissed me back.”

Bex regretted the statement as soon as it came out. This had never been about her and Ginnifer. She had only been trying to help Lana. But she didn’t regret the feeling behind it, because Lana was supposed to be her friend.

“Wow,” Lana declared, in what could only be described as a pissy tone of voice. “I cannot believe you. I’m out of here.” The woman gave one last, definitive glare and shook her head before leaving.

* * *

If Lana hadn’t stormed out, Bex surely would have. Or maybe if she hadn’t been so tipsy, she might have thought to leave sooner. Regardless, she eventually sauntered out of the bar, the rage building inside her.

Standing out on the sidewalk, she felt like a fool. Where the fuck had Lana managed to go so quickly, anyway? The woman had left her completely stranded.

Pulling out her phone, she touched the number two, to phone her second speed dial contact, who was well on his way to number one, at this point.

“Hey—,” she said, as soon as she heard Sean pick up the phone. “Listen, I’m a bit sloshed and I don’t have my car here, anyway, so I need you to come give me a lift.”

"I thought it was 'girl's night'," he responded, with an almost pouty tone. Bex did not have the time or patience for this.

“Sean, I swear, if you don’t get your arse down here, I’ll have your head.” Bex swore the Brit in her became more prominent than usual when she was angry. Or drunk. And at the moment, she was both.

Needless to say, her threat seemed to do the trick, and she found herself waiting against the brick wall of the pub for her friend to come pick her up. She tried to occupy herself on her phone, but she felt the effects of all the alcohol she had ingested increasingly set in.

By the time Sean pulled up, she knew that it was in full effect, but she tried to play it cool. Besides, she was still pissed.

“I cannot believe _your_ best friend,” she said, slamming the passenger side door as she got in. “She’s just being absolutely dreadful.”

Sean’s eyebrows shifted up toward his forehead. “Well, I suppose that would explain the abrupt ending to your night. But…what happened?” he asked her. As if she even knew where to begin.

“She called me a slut!” Bex said simply, causing Sean’s perplexed look to strengthen.

“Lana? _Lana_ said _that_?”

“Don’t you dare start defending her.” Lana was always the favorite. But not tonight, she wasn’t. Not on her end, at least.

“Alright, but…”

“Well, she didn’t _say_ it, but she implied it. She was about to say it. And when I called her out on it, she definitely didn’t try too hard to deny it.”

“That’s not like Lana. Why would she do that?”

“She said horrible, hurtful things to me, and if you need more of an explanation than that, you can fuck off,” she told him.

He sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, and Bex knew she was being a bit out of line. But she always was with him, and yet, he continued to put up with her, anyway.

They approached her neighborhood and Sean pulled into a McDonald’s drive-thru. He placed an order for a number two, which Bex knew was intended for her, because that was what she always got.

“I don’t need that,” she said, laying her head back on the seat and waving her hand. After a moment of feeling her head spin, she sat up. “No, actually, I want it,” she said, as if he wasn’t already pulling up to the next window, anyway.

He stayed silent as they finished the drive to her house, seemingly knowing better than to push her and piss her off even further. The same rang true when he kept his distance as they made their way inside, despite her obvious stumbling up the steps.

Bex didn’t like to admit it, of course, but Sean probably knew her better than anyone—even Lana.

When they got inside, Bex got herself up onto a stool at her kitchen’s island counter and stuffed a few french fries in her mouth.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened, or not?” Sean crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, giving her an expression with very little fight behind it.

Bex glared over her burger. “I kissed Ginny,” she said nonchalantly, with her mouth full.

“What? Bex—!”

“Relax, I was just trying to see if she’d be into girls—for Lana! But she totally freaked out and so that’s why she said what she said. There,” Bex said with finality.

But of course, Sean wasn’t content to leave the conversation at that. “I see what you were trying to do, but you probably shouldn’t have done it that way…”

“Of course you’d take her side—!”

“I’m not taking anyone’s side!” he insisted. “I’m just saying that Lana has really strong feelings for her. So what you did, despite your intentions, probably hurt her heart a bit.”

“Oh my god, why is everyone bloody overreacting?! It was a damn kiss, that’s it!” she said, getting down from her stool. Her head spun, as she moved too quickly, and she brought a hand to it. “You must think I’m a slut, too, if you agree that it was such a big deal.”

“Rebecca, you know how I feel about you…” He said that from time to time, like it was completely obvious, when truthfully, they’d never once had a real conversation regarding it.

“Fine then.” She peeled her dress off and clumsily hoisted herself up onto the counter in just her black bra and panties and her black high heels. “Show me.”

She felt herself grow cold against the marble and she saw the adam’s apple shift in his throat. She knew how he felt, to an extent at least, and she knew what she was doing to him.

But she also thought that perhaps if she did this with someone who felt something for her; if she allowed _herself_ to feel something, then maybe she would understand what everyone else was talking about, and why they seemed to see her in a certain light.

“Jesus Christ, Bex…” he muttered, his entire face turned red.

“What?” She gave her hair a toss and leaned back onto her hands a bit. “If that’s how you feel about me, then here’s your chance.”

“No. I like you, Bex. I like you a lot. And right now, you’re drunk and upset, and…I’m not going to just have sex with you,” he told her, shaking his head.

“Good lord, we’re back to this again…”

“Look, I screwed around a lot for a while, too. And all it did was leave me feeling empty. I wish I could take it back.” He picked up her dress and approached her, holding it out to her. “You _can_ have something meaningful, Bex. I’m not saying it has to be, or even _should_ be with me. It could be with anyone who’s deserving of your affection.”

Bex’s face scrunched up and she wanted to push him away from her, because now she felt too vulnerable, which she never did when trying to make an advancement on someone. “Maybe I don’t _want_ that!” she said, her voice cracking. “Maybe I’m not _like_ you, and Lana, and fucking Ginnifer Goody-Two-Shoes!”

“Well, that’s fine. And we’ll respect you. But you have to do the same for us.”

Glancing away, she took the dress from him. “Alright, well, I’m about tired of this conversation. Thank you for the ride, but do you mind leaving?” She kept her voice calm, because she was still rather intoxicated and didn’t want to give any more of her emotions away.

“Okay,” he whispered, giving her arm a squeeze. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

And he left her with that empty feeling in her stomach. Then again, maybe it was the alcohol.

 _‘What a bunch of overrated bullshit,’_ she thought to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry for such a long wait! There were a few things getting in the way of my progress, but it was mainly the fact that I wanted to make sure I got this chapter just right. So with that, I hope you enjoy!

Earlier that day, Ginny had spent time trying to decide what to wear. It was something she seldom did. When it came to events and appearances, she let her stylist choose for her. She just found it too difficult.

The only time she _really_ tried to put together a nice outfit herself was for a date--not just to hang out with a friend. She even attempted to do her hair, which was something she absolutely hated, and that was why she kept it short.

Eventually, she had decided on a pair of skinny khakis and a deep blue, flowy button-down top, along with some simple flats.

All the effort made her consider the idea that maybe this was more than just hanging out with a friend. Truthfully, she _had_ already wondered if perhaps this was supposed to be a date. But she didn't want to assume that just because her lesbian friend had asked her to _hang out_ , she must have been _asking her out_. Still, they had been friends for years and Ginny had never made that assumption.

This time felt different.

She knew it was that kiss getting in her head. That stupid, unwelcome kiss. _'Enough,'_ she told herself, finally. Even if Bex was Lana's best friend, she couldn't let some cocky, promiscuous woman effect her own relationship with the woman. She couldn't let it ruin what was supposed to be a fun night.

Seeing the fading sun cast across her face and hearing the chirping birds, Ginny realized that the evening was already upon them as she sat at the table, with Lana, on the roof.

She looked over at the other woman who was barefoot and wore a dress with a slight flare to it, looking cute as always. Letting out a gentle sigh, Ginny ran a hand through her hair, effectively messing up the gel she had used in it. "I'm glad we're doing this. Thanks for having me."

Lana nodded subtly but kept her eyes cast down on her food. She had made a mushroom risotto with beef tips, which was even better than Ginny had expected. She couldn't say the same for the dinner conversation, however.

_She knows. Of course she knows._ Why wouldn't she? Bex was her best friend. Surely she would have told her. But why would that cause Lana to act cold toward Ginny? Bex had made it seem like she was straight, but perhaps not. And then Ginny would look like the careless one. Maybe there was something going on between Lana and Bex, and now Ginny had gotten pulled into the middle of it.

There was no scenario that would make it okay, she was sure of that.

Just as she started to think of ways to try and explain, she heard Lana's voice. “Gin, do you ever wonder what the world would be like in black and white?”

The question certainly wasn't out of character for Lana, though the timing of it seemed odd. She would have expected to hear something like that after they'd been stuck waiting around on set in the middle of the night. Like sleepover talk.

However, she was just glad that Lana was talking period, if for no other reason than to remedy the awkwardness between them. But she knew there were definitely other reasons--especially how she worried that she had ruined their friendship.

"I suppose it would be a lot less interesting. Don't you?" Ginny both stated and questioned tentatively.

"I mean, maybe. That's probably what I would have initially thought," Lana answered, sounding all too serious, given her usually lighthearted manner. But that had never made her any less deep or thoughtful or interesting. "But maybe it would make things easier...simpler. Couldn't we all benefit from a little more clarity?"

Ginny inhaled sharply, feeling as though she might cry. It was too much pressure, not knowing what Lana knew or what she wanted to hear. She was definitely right about the clarity, that was for sure.

And then it suddenly became a little more clear for her. What if Lana had intended for the night to be a date? And if Lana knew about her kiss with Bex, perhaps _that_ would explain the woman's coldness toward her.

Not only were those circumstances still only 'what ifs,' but if they were true, it brought up a whole other lot of questions.

Like, how did Ginny feel about it?

“Gigi? Gi?” Lana was suddenly leaning in a bit, looking at her peculiarly. “Are you okay?”

Ginny wondered if it was noticeable that she had been close to tears. She wondered if Lana knew what she was putting her through. But Ginny knew that Lana was the last person who would ever be so cruel as to intentionally push someone to their breaking point--even if she did deserve it.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she answered, because she just couldn’t bring herself to be upfront about the kiss, not when she wasn’t ready to face some of the possible outcomes of doing so. “I was just thinking about what you said.”

Looking across at Lana, with her raven hair and her fair, perfectly heart-shaped face, she knew that it wasn’t the kiss anymore; or the question she had been asked. It was everything about the woman that was on Ginny’s mind.

* * *

On more than one occasion, Lana had considered cancelling their date—or whatever it was. She _had_ felt confident about it being a date, but now she wasn’t so sure. Regardless, she decided that it was only fair to leave it up to Ginny, to cancel or not.

Admittedly, Lana hadn’t been the best of company at the beginning of the evening. If it was just a usual first date, Lana wouldn’t blame Ginny for not wanting a second one. But what it had turned into was everything that Lana had been hoping to avoid.

Ideally, she had wanted it to develop entirely naturally--hanging out turning into dates; hugs and subtle caresses turning into kisses and cuddling; brief eye contact and shy smiles turning into longing gazes…

Maybe she was being naive. Bex had probably been right about that one thing--that Ginny couldn’t be expected to simply pick up on what Lana was feeling and go along with it. Not that it excused her friend’s actions. She had no business kissing Ginny.

Her little courting strategy was not going to cut it, and it wasn’t even fair to Ginny. As far as she or anyone else knew, Ginny was straight. How could she expect to even approach the idea of a romantic relationship with the woman without so much as a conversation?

Unfortunately, it was a difficult conversation to have, when their friendship, as well as Lana’s feelings were on the line. It was even more difficult now, thanks to Bex’s unwelcome involvement. Maybe Bex could have aided in Lana bringing up the topic to Ginny, but not like this.

Now, she was just left wondering if the kiss was on Ginny’s mind as they sat there together. She contemplated if Ginny had found it uncomfortable and if she wondered how much Lana knew about it and why; or if Ginnifer had enjoyed it and was still wondering the same things about her lesbian friend’s involvement. Or maybe, if that was case, she was just thinking about the red-haired woman she had kissed.

When she looked over at the beautiful woman and saw the scared look in her doe-eyes, she knew that this was probably even harder on Ginny, and she couldn’t keep behaving this way.

“Anyway, I’m glad we’re doing this, too,” she murmured softly, and reached across the table to take Ginny’s hand. And maybe it was all in her head, but as she did, she swore she could feel a spark against her fingertips.

Suddenly, Ginny jumped and Lana felt the woman’s fingers lift slightly, while beneath her own. “Oh my gosh… Sorry! Was that...static electricity?”

Lana only smiled and shook her head. So, Ginny had felt it, too. She wondered if it was even possible for two people to feel a literal spark between them. But the air was humid and the surface of her roof was nothing but concrete, so there was no way it would have been static electricity.

Besides, Lana was a person who liked to believe in feelings that strong. She had just lost sight of that throughout the past week. Fortunately, Ginny was just the one to remind her.

“Come on,” she said softly, keeping her hand wrapped around Ginny’s as she stood up from the table and brought her over to the railing of her roof. It took her a moment, but once they were leaning against it, she eventually let go of Ginnifer’s hand. If she wasn’t going to be brave enough to be upfront about her feelings, she wouldn’t allow herself to force Ginny into a potentially uncomfortable situation.

“I hope my cooking was alright,” Lana said, her eyes glued to the woman. She knew she wasn’t doing the best job of keeping things from being potentially uncomfortable, but she couldn’t help herself when Ginnifer was around.

“It was... It was more than alright,” Ginny said, smiling softly and looking down at the railing, which her fingers were curling around.

They stood like that for a while, while Lana grappled with what to do or say, though her mind was also still preoccupied with wondering how Ginny felt. But she couldn’t even handle what was on her own mind, let alone Ginny’s.

Ginny turned toward her and Lana wondered if she noticed how long she had been staring. “You know, maybe you’re onto something with this whole ‘black and white’ thing. Look at the stars, for instance,” she said, her eyes moving back to the sky. “They’d still be the same. They would be just as beautiful.”

Lana smiled brightly--almost laughed, even, because she was simply overjoyed that Ginny had taken what she said to heart. “No, Ginny, I was definitely wrong,” she assured the other woman, shaking her head.

She knew she had only said it out of bitterness. Because she wished that there weren’t women like Rebecca, who would frivolously kiss her crush; or that she wouldn’t fall for a straight woman in the first place.

But she knew it would never be that simple and deep down, she would never want it to be. That was the beauty in people like Ginnifer--they were complex and colorful.

“I mean, there are some stars that are slightly red, or yellow, or blue… We’d miss out on all that without color. And then how would we be able to pick out stars for people? They’d all look too alike!”

“Well, I wasn’t warming up to the theory too quickly, anyway,” Ginnifer told her, chuckling faintly.

Lana grabbed her arm and pointed out to the sky. “Like that one. It’s white, like most of the others...but then it gives off this pink glow. It makes me think of you.” Admittedly, she had just then spotted it, but Lana imagined she would spend a lot of time gazing at that particular star, from this point on.

With her hand still in place on the other’s arm, Ginny turned in and put them into a sort of embrace. “Does it?” Ginny whispered. The embrace was fulfilled when Ginny brought her hand up to stroke Lana’s hair. “Why? What do you think of me?” she asked, her lip noticeably quivering.

“I… I…” Lana gulped, despising that she was afraid, because Ginny was clearly twice as much. Maybe she hadn’t been forthcoming enough with her feelings, but she could be honest. “You’re the sweetest, most gracious woman I know. You’re beautiful, inside and out. You mean so much to me and my life is better with you in it.”

Lana gaped at the woman as they shakily exited their semi-embrace. “Thank you,” Ginny said simply, and delicately kissed her on the forehead. Lana felt as if, without exaggeration, she could melt.

“What do you think of me?” Lana questioned in return, wanting to clutch onto Ginny, but instead she grabbed the railing for support.

“I think--I think I’m still figuring that out,” Ginny replied, with a sincere smile, before turning away to look back at the stars.

Lana’s mind was reeling once again. Was there a chance that Ginny was now contemplating them as more than the dreaded ‘just friends’? And as the initial pursuer, what was Lana supposed to do in regards to the possibility?

Bringing herself away from the ledge, she wrapped an arm around Ginny. But it wasn’t a quick gesture, like one would use to give a friendly half-hug. Instead, her fingers crawled along the small of Ginny’s back, slowly curling around the deep curve of her waist, until her hand was resting on her hip bone, gently stroking it with her thumb.

She held her breath until Ginny laid her head down against her shoulder.

And though there were no fireworks that night, Lana could still feel a pounding in her chest.


End file.
